Pennsylvania!

Greetings from York!

From Ohio I jumped on the Turnpike and head for York, PA. I had never been here before. Actually, I'm not sure I'd ever heard of the town before - despite having lived in PA for a year many moons ago. That only happened after I met my York friends when they were visiting Anna Maria Island for a week last year. Sometimes you just get lucky and click with people and that's what my neighbor and I did with our York, PA friends. When they learned I was heading up the east coast, they invited me stop by. And since Ohio and the east coast are in the neighborhood of the coast anyway :-)... I did. And it has been so fun that I've threatened to stop traveling and stay.

The night I arrived we caught up and traded travel tales. Then this wonderful couple shared their plan for my visit. The first full day we went to Gettysburg. The second full day was a trip to Baltimore, but that's another post. I had never been to Gettysburg, looked forward to getting there, and had no clue what to expect. It is a necessary destination - even if you got to Gettysburg and didn't have time for the entire battlefield (or any for that matter), the film and Cyclorama at the Visitors' Center are well worth the trip and admission price ($12.50 adult w/o a discount like AAA).

Have any of you heard of or experienced a cyclorama? I had not. Apparently, in the 1800s here and in Europe massive canvas paintings were hung in special auditoriums with a center viewing platform for the audience. The final result of the canvas and any additional props like landscape and figurines was a 3D effect. Most of these cycloramas have been lost or destroyed. The Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama is one of the few remaining. It is 359ft long, 27ft high, and weighs about 3 tons.

Pickett's Charge: the last Confederate assault during the Battle of Gettysburg

The Valley of Death - that mound of boulders (rear left) is the Devil's Den. There were 51,000 casualties at Gettysburg.

Soldiers National Monument at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

The film, New Birth of Freedom, and the Cyclorama were excellent. It is humbling to walk through the cemetery with all the marked and unmarked graves of soldiers from several wars dating back to the Civil War. And I found it impossible to feel anything other than grateful.

Baltimore is next!

Back Online...!

Hey Everybody!

Forgive my lengthy absence, but sometimes you gotta go off the grid for the cool stuff :-) Of course, I have no pictures of my first few days offline... But I will post about my next stop either later tonight or soon!

First of all, I hope this post finds everyone well. Secondly, many thanks to my Cincinnati friends for taking me in for a few days. What the rest of you should know is this: not only did they take me in, entertain and feed me, but they did so during my first allergy experience! As I left the coast and head for the hills and mountains I was introduced to what allergy sufferers have known forever...pollen is not our friend. I am on the verge of "all-clear" I think...but my PA friends informed me this afternoon that I should be prepared for more during my east coast trek. Oh no!

While I do not have pictures, I have important information just the same. In no particular order:

1. Graeter's Ice Cream has been around since 1870. It's good ice cream! What is as impressive and fun is that on the first Thursday of the month it's "Bring your pet" night & the pets get treats. As if that's not enough...for those who have trouble choosing an ice cream flavor, Graeter's offers mini-cones. Not small cones. They really are mini and are sold in sets of three! Brilliant!

2. Dana and Nora this one is for you! Next time you invite me to have sushi for lunch or dinner I will say yes! At one of my friends' favorite local spots, Thai Taste, I ate sushi. Not only did I like the Shrimp Tempura, but I also sampled a coconut milk soup (Tom Kai Gai) - I do not like coconut! - and it was quite tasty too.

3. Mt. Airy Forest (1450 acres) is one of the largest city parks in the country & it's beautiful. It's also the place where I tested my ability to catch myself when falling in a rocky creek bed. I'm still here, so you can be assured I made the catch! My friends can hike this place in the dark - while carrying a baby! ...but they never laughed at me :-). However, when we climbed up a muddy slope while using tree roots as leverage, my friend's husband insisted on taking my hand when the path grew more difficult. It is entirely possible that he was right to do so! And, at last I finally have some real mud on that new pair of hiking boots.

4. Also, the Omnimax theatre is located in the old train station. The building is beautiful. We watched a movie about the Arctic - and even got to see the very place where I'll be going in June.

Cincinnati is a pretty cool place!

Next post will be about Gettysburg...

Me Thinks Thou Dost Protest Too Much...

That's what went through my mind when I had to stop -illegally- just past the toll booth this afternoon. I gave the woman a $10 for a $2 toll. She gave me several bills back and I failed to check them on the spot, but I did check 'em! I pulled over as soon as I could and walked back to the woman. She insisted that I hadn't just passed through her lane: "Not my lane. It wasn't me. Are you sure?"

Please....of course I'm sure! The interesting twist is that she managed to grab a $5 without opening a drawer and handed it to me...as she tried once more to get me to change my mind. Now perhaps toll booth operators keep a bucket of loose bills handy to cover innocent errors, but somehow I doubt that! In all my driving years, this was a first!

Anyway... I left the Shenandoah Valley today, but enjoyed the long drive through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Mountains remind us to look up! My last stop in Virginia was The Natural Bridge. Thomas Jefferson purchased this property (the bridge and about 157 acres) in 1774 for $2.40. Frankly, that makes it even harder to accept the entrance fee ($28!). That fee includes other things too, but it is way overpriced!!!! You know, in my opinion....

The bridge is estimated to be 500 million years old, is 55 feet higher than Niagra Falls, and US Route 11 crosses over it. Included in the fee is a toy museum, a wax museum, a small Butterfly Garden, and a cave.

The cave's canyon areas were interesting...a little bit like I might expect to see in outer space. It is the deepest cave on the east coast at 340 feet (I think). Unfortunately, it also seems to be the most likely cave in which a tourist will be injured (someone fell after we entered & people kept slipping), in the poorest condition from human intrusion, and not presented especially well during the tour. Of course, that last comment is partly due to my assessment of what was interesting, what was skipped, and how rushed it felt at the rare good spots. Caves are moss free until lighting is installed and this has more than I have ever seen. I used the word "mold" in a question and was reprimanded (gently). The guide said the cave might have to be "cleaned" at some point. That raises more questions...

I think I've been on the road about three weeks now....am taking a detour to visit a friend. I will be in touch again a few days. I have come up with some possible "Top Ten" lists while driving, so I might post a sample on the blog for fun. Hope all is well....enjoy your weekend. And, thanks for stopping by!

Caves, Cars and Mountains

Hey Everybody,

Here's that promised break from the coast...

First, Luray Caverns....I am only posting 2 pictures from this stop. I took WAY more. I have been in caves in several states and outside the US...this is the most spectacular cave. If you don't like caves, you might like this one. If you like caves, this place is a must!

One of the extras of the pricey entrance fee ($24) is the Car & Carriage Museum. While I went in unsure about what to expect, it turned out to be pretty cool. The first pic is of a 1727-29 carriage. This is followed by an 1892 Benz -as in Mercedez Benz. Next is the Horse Tricycle used by circus clowns (1920-30s). To move, clowns had to pump the handlebars up and down.

After the cave tour I visited Shenendoah National Park. Great trails, but I was a few weeks early to see everything spring back to life. Then I stopped at another cave, Skyline Caverns. For the most part, I have tried to leave my negative opinions out of the blog. I figure if someone I know travels to a particular place I can recommend (or warn) individually... However, this place was overpriced and just not something I could recommend. There's not much to see and I found their use of lights annoying. Its one saving grace is the Anthodites, which are rare mineral formations that sort of look like white sea urchins, but are more commonly referred to as "cave flowers." Skyline Caverns is the only place int the US where the general public can view them. The weird thing is that I am certain I have seen them before, but where??

Until next time....

Virginia's Eastern Shore

Hey Everybody,

This morning I continued north on Highway 13 so that I could wander Chincoteague and Assateague Islands before heading inland for the next few days. I stopped about 3 miles shy of the Maryland state line since I'll begin there once I return to the coast.

The cool thing about Highway 13 is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. It's an expensive toll road $12 one way ($5 return if it's within 24hours), but it pretty much eliminates traffic - even during season according to a hotel employee. It's amazing how much ship traffic passes through the Chesapeake Bay. In a 15 min period two massive cargo ships came in. I hope it's not that busy all day....how much stuff do we need?!

I was surprised to find a huge NASA presence on a little island (Wallops Island) on the way to my destination. Remember that scene in Contact where Jodie Foster has all those satellite dishes? It looks like that only bigger! That's all I know though since the NASA Museum was closed.

I was also surprised to find Tyson chicken, Perdue chicken, and multiple tomato packaging or canning plants on Highway 13. I knew the chicken people were in the state, but it never occurred to me that they'd be off-shore.

Back to the islands: Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is located here and is famous for its wild ponies. Not that they're really wild...they have vets, fences, get auctioned, have numbers branded on them, are even behind fences on a hotel's property! The only wild horses I know of on the east coast are on Cumberland Island. Still...they are pretty & the babies look very young & cute, although they never got close. By the way, if the horses look bloated it's because they drink saltwater.

This place has great hiking and biking paths. I rode through part of the forest, but learned that there is a bike path from the town of Chincoteague to the beach and trails. It's quite beautiful here.

The Assateague Lighthouse was built in 1866-67 (I think that's true). The sign said open for climbs, but wasn't actually open. The small red bldg served as the Oil House. In the beachy looking photo the Atlantic & its beach are on the right just beyond the picture.

For those of you growing tired of wetlands, horses, and sand....Stay tuned. I made it to Virginia's mountains and caves area tonight. The drive through the rolling hills and valleys was beautiful until the rain and fog interrupted. I think lots of places are cool and beautiful, but this part of the state is gorgeous.

Portsmouth, VA

Hey Everybody,

Not much for you today...This morning I drove north as far as I was permitted to go on the Outer Banks Islands. The road ends at the beach....hmm....sand + my car? Oh yeah, I remember. I can't do that!

Just one picture of the Norfolk/Portsmouth Harbor on the Elizabeth River. From one of the bridges the covered scaffolding looked like some sort of post-modern building. But no....it's just one of several ships in the shipyard hospital. I asked about touring (or really, just viewing) the huge Naval Shipyard. Restricted! I thought they might have a viewing platform or something, but they don't.

I found the local paddle-wheel ferry system to be quite a bargain. It's basically a city bus that runs between Portsmouth and Norfolk every 30min or so. It's $3 round trip! The story behind the ferry system was interesting... Since 1636 there has been some sort of boat service. Until 1821 the boats were rowed across the river. Paddle-wheel ferries were then introduced, but between 1821-1832 (year of the first steam-pwered ferry) blind horses were used to turn the paddle-wheels.

I am considering heading inland for a day or two for caves. These caves have been on my list since the trip began, but I admit that my inability to access a beach tonight to watch the best sunset (in weeks!) annoyed me just enough to conclude this might be a good time to take a break before tackling the snooty east coast!

So, hope this finds you well. I'll be in touch from somewhere...soon.

 

More from The Outer Banks

Hey Everybody,

I left Ocracoke - won't forget that stop anytime soon!- this morning, but not before a return visit to the Ocracoke Coffee Co. for one last mocha mint smoothie for the ferry ride to Hatteras. This ferry is free (and always will be) because the islanders need a free way to leave the island. It runs from 5am to midnight and is about a 40 min trip. We were surrounded by very shallow water the entire time and it was easy to understand why the area is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Hopefully the pic will give you an idea...

The weirdest thing I saw in the water though we're duck blinds. I never heard of such a thing! Of course, I'm not a hunter. What makes it so odd at first is that they're 20+ miles out to sea, but the water is really shallow. In the pic, there are about 8 duck blinds. They were all over the place.

Have I mentioned that the wind NEVER stops blowing here? Never! I don't mean a breeze...I mean wind. There are spots along the way that have been identified as some of the best kiteboarding places on the east coast. And, how can you go wrong when you can just pull up your truck and set up? This was taken in Hatteras; second pic is same beach in other direction. And pretty much the entire way north today this is how the beachfront looked. Nag's Head is very developed - guess that's what happens when you get a bridge to the mainland - Walmart's, Lowes, fast food chains, etc. It reminded me of Myrtle Beach.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (1870) is my favorite one on any coast to date. It's so pretty. It's also the tallest in the US. And it was recently relocated nearly 3,000 feet due to beach erosion at the original sight.

Next is the 1872 Bodie Island Lighthouse (originally "Body") which is undergoing construction so I couldn't get very close. You decide: it is either named after the family who owned the land or after all the shipwrecked bodies that washed ashore. Interestingly, it is the third Bodie Lighthouse. The first one collapsed and the second one was blown up by Confederate soldiers trying to foil the Union Navy.

One of the most environmentally interesting places I saw heading over the Oregon Inlet Bridge. So, after I stopped at the Bodie Lighthouse I went back over the bridge to check it out. What I most wanted to do was take photos from the bridge, but that's not really an option, especially on a day when there's only one traffic lane. Oh well...maybe next time.

This is the beach on the south side of Oregon Inlet as seen from the dunes. And that house is the one I want in my next life....it looks amazing from the bridge! It is the only house around....

As today is Wilbur Wright's 145th birthday (who knew!) the Wright Brothers Memorial was free; love that! This large boulder marks the spot where the first plane left the ground on 12-17-1903. The smaller stone markers indicate the distance & landings of those first four flights that day. The first four flights: (1) 12 seconds, 120 ft; (2) 12 seconds, 175 ft; (3) 15 seconds, 200 ft; and (4) 59 seconds, 852 feet. I learned that on the 100th anniversary of flight an original piece of the wing was carried to space for the first lunar landing. That piece now hangs in the visitor center.

This is the Currituck Beach Lighthouse (1875). If you want to climb the Ligthouse stairs you have to sign a waiver...because "construction predates modern building codes and regulations."

Not sure of tomorrow's plan or direction....yet. But I'll know soon...for now, I'm just glad I got the laundry finished tonight. More soon.